[cheers and applause] >> stephen: good

captioning sponsored by comedy central captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org from comedy central's world news headquarters in new york, this is "the daily show" with jon stewart. ["daily show" theme song playing] [cheers and applause] captioning sponsored by comedy central >> jon: welcome to "the daily show". my name is jon stewart. nice program for you tonight. fresh off a gelden globes victory, jessica chastain is going to be here from the film "zero dark thirty". i don't want to spoil it for anybody but keep your eye on the bin laden character. [ laughter ] now, listen, as you know following a series of terrible

gun tragedies in this country in let's call it 30 years of you are bar warfare, america is in the midst of a serious conversation about guns. the nra has been clear thought would meet any gun laws with serious resistance. >> they are getting the message out rncht president's kids more important than yours? why is he skeptical but putting armed security in schools when his kids are protected at their schools? >> jon: and why does he get to veto bills and command an army when we don't? all right so the conversation has started and we're off to a deplorable start. [ laughter ] i swear to you if i didn't know any better and i'm not a big conspiracy guy, i would think the nra is an elaborate after vant geard joaquin phoenix style

joke or a false flag operation run by michael moore in an attempt to discredit responsible gun owners. your response, mr. president. >> i believe the second amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. i believe most gun owners agree we can respect the second amendment while keeping an irresponsible law breaking few from inflicting harm on a massive scale. >> jon: interesting open on his part. i thought he was going to say if you bring up my kids again i'll drum strike you're (bleep) to kingdom come. i understand that. he unveiled legislative proposals and 23 actions to begin to address gun violence including limiting magazine size, restricting assault weapons, expand background checks and oddly enough provide money for increased school security which was suggested by that really charming ad.

how did his recommendation goes down with the pro-gun crowd? >> all the things he pointed out will only affect law abiding citizens who already abide about it law. we have over 20,000 gun laws on the books. we need to enforce those gun laws. >> jon: you know that is -- okay. that's true. [ laughter ] that happen it's be entirely accurate. we need to enforce those 20,000 laws. unless they take that enforcement job on themselves slow down, there's no need. former kansas congressman todd tiahrt pointed out why mayors should not be trying to trace where illegal guns are coming from. >> when crimes are committed or a dealer selling guns illegally we have an organization that goes after them 4/7 every day. it's called the atf and they have officers completely assigned to do this.

>> jon: the atf, the bureau, alcohol, tobacco and firearms. it's an actual government agency not just a traditional southern wedding gift. look -- [ laughter ] [cheers and applause] -- i would like -- i would like -- depends on where you are registered really. although when you get those they don't have to be registered. that's the beauty. i would like the atf's director to explain to you if you are out there 24 slrk 7 why is this country ass deep in illegal gun? >> we've not had a director of alcohol tobacco and fire for six years. >> jon: sure. i'm supposed to believe the captain can't have sugary drinks. i don't trust information from anyone who can't handle more than 16 ounces of high fructose ambrosia. >> they haven't a permanent director in six years.

>> jon: oh, my god there's no atf director. there's no director of atf is it like a montessori agency where there's no director but agents who just encourage to be curious? and regulate weapons at their own pace? >> the current acting director commutes from minnesota. he is the u.s. attorney from minnesota as well as acting director of the atf? >> jon: what? you are telling me this dude, the guy who is the acting director of atf has another full-time job that regulating alcohol and tobacco and firearms is his side gig? [ laughter ] just moonlighting, picking up a little extra dough. why? there's 7.8% unemployment in this country. we can find somebody to take that job whop doesn't have

another job. >> the senate won't confirm anybody to the full-time job. >> jon: it's not a cabinet level position. who gives a (bleep). or a scowrt justice. why is it the senate's business to -- i'm told the senate has to confirm the atf director because congressman james sensor brenner inserted that provision into the patriot act in 2006. sorry i don't have footage on that. it's done on the -- i do have footage of him accepting the nra's coveted director of freedom award. coincidence? unrelated action. [ laughter ] but you know? they don't have a director. they have atf agents. in 1972, i went on in the 70s there was 2500 agents and there was still 2500 agents. 39 years later -- >> jon: not the same ones,

right? [ laughter ] policing over 100,000 gun dealers in this country with a couple thousand agents who are also responsible for tobacco and alcohol may seem impossible but here is the good news. 18 years ago a professor analyzed atf tracing data and found 57% of guns used in crimes, the illegal guns could be traced back to 1% of the licensed gun dealers. all the atf has to do is create a registry of these transactions. trace them back to the bad dealers and those dealers ruining it for the law abiding gun dealer and citizens, flooding cities with illegal guns -- make it stop. >> according to the "new york times" the bureau is prohibiting from creating a federal registry of of gun transactions. >> jon: what the (bleep) are you doing? why? that makes no sense. [ laughter ] was it getting too easy to

police illegal guns? what if we do it with our arms like this? [ laughter ] are there any somewhat come call limits on -- comical limits on federal law enforcement's ability to endorse federal law. normally i get that through the ear but the knew -- pneumatic tube system didn't realize the question was retouriccal. i'll -- rhetorical. i'll bite. the atf isn't allowed to inspect dealers more than once a year and in reality get to inspect them once every 17 years. i'm assuming that's because it doesn't have enough agents and not that the atf agents are cicadas. [ laughter ] let that insect joke just wash over you. [ laughter ] well, i guess self report

inventories from dealers are better than nothing. what is that? oh, my god! why it's gunther my messenger pigeon. we can't rely on self reported inventories either because the atf cannot require dealers to keep track of their own inven tourism a congressman stuck an amendment into a federal spending bill that restricted the atf's ability to do what the nra said they should do. it required the destruction of background check records within 24 hours. you know, to make sure no mistakes could be corrected. [ laughter ] who did this? what congressman jammed this amendment into an unrelated

spending bill completely castrating the atf's ability to enforce gun laws. >> the amendment with your name tiahrt. >> it was to protect those who protect us. >> jon: holy (bleep) you are the guy from five minutes ago saying slow down municipalities the atf has the enforcement game, let the atf handle it and then -- [ laughter ] you have broken my tea heart. wee. the amendment couldn't be worse if the nra wrote it themselves. oh, boy. no! gunther, why? why would you be in the tube? [ laughter ]

you are never supposed to cross antiquated message delivery systems like this. [ laughter ] the nra did write that law. well, it's not like the atf has been completely deballed. thanks to the first amendment they have a youtube channel that they use to encourage gun owners to act responsibly. >> though it's not required by federal law atf suggests you conduct a complete firearms inventory once a year. >> if you have a buyer that appears to be under the include of drugs or alcohol and it appears their judgment may be impaired, you may want to deny the sale. not because it's a violation of the gun control act but because that person's judgment is likely

impaired. [ laughter ] >> jon: but obviously it's up to you. [ laughter ] not our job at the atf to tell you you can't sell guns to drunk people. i will say this though to the gun dealers you can sell the gun to the drunk people but if thos.

[cheers and applause] >> jon: welcome back to the show. as you know we have a simple rule in this country when one region gets hit a natural disaster everybody pitches in. private sector, individual zendz, the federal government steps in. after hurricane sandy hit the northeast some republicans in congress thought it was time for the rules to change. >> congressman from south carolina saying he's not going to support the measure. >> my difficulty with it is it's not paid for. we're borrowing this additional money to do this.

it's wrong. >> it's dpul of pork and it's not paid for. >> jon: that's crazy. you you are a man from south carolina you've got a problem putting anything in pork. for god's sakes. south carolina has a pork-based economy. your state had no problem accepting aid after hugo and gafton. turns out there's republican officials in the northeast and they would like a word with you folks. >> to my colleagues who are from states with disasters recently who decided we need change the rules of the game, shame on you. >> new jersey does not expect anything more than what was done for louisiana, alabama and mississippi in katrina. if they want to make new rules about disaster, well, they picked the wrong state to make the new rules with. >> jon: my state. [cheers and applause] nice state you representing. be a real shame fit ended upping

like new delaware. you never heard of new delaware? that's right. what is the hold up? what is the pork? >> there's stuff for alaska fisheries. there's things for the kennedy space center. there's the roof on the smithsonian. job training. >> jon: back up. there's no roof on the smithsonian. it's going to rain on archie bunker's chair. congress shouldn't have to go through this to get measures passed. can't you take the pork stuff out of there and pass a trimmed down version of the bill. >> the republicans passed a trimmed down version of the bill yesterday. it included not just relief for sandy but damaged fisheries in alaska and the gulf coast. >> jon: you worked on a reasonable compromise to get help to people who desperately need it. i'm so impressed i want to make this the first of the new segment "thank you for not tripping over your own

(bleep)." it's not that hard. that was the house where the crazy representatives live. i'm sure now the senate will have no problem approving this paired down disaster relief even without the fishery money. >> i say point blank this legislation is not going to pass without the inclusion of this fishery money point blank and period. >> jon: great it's back to

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>> jon: welcome back. my guest tonight received a golden globe ward and is up for an academy award for her role in "zero dark thirty". >> there are two narratives of the location of osama bin laden. the one you are most familiar with is that you are hiding in a cave surrounded by fighters. that narrative is pre9/11 understanding. the second narrative he is living in the city with multiple points of entries and access to communications so that he can keep in touch with the organization. you can't run a global network of interconnected cells from a cave. >> jon: they are not connected. please welcome jessica chastain. [cheers and applause] please, sit. [cheers and applause] thank you so much for joining

us. >> of course. i'm -- a huge fan of this show. >> jon: thank you very much. i don't care for it. i don't watch it. [ laughter ] congratulations. >> thank you. >> jon: i'm confused somewhat you are doing this film. are you not on broadway right now? >> yeah, man, i have two shows today. i did a matinee. i'm in the heiress on broadway. >> jon: you are doing this and you were at the golden globes and i saw you. >> yes, i'm a crazy person. >> jon: i say this because it was earlier do you travel by pneumatic, tube? >> i might end up in the tube like the bird. >> jon: terrible situation. your performance is so incredibly good but it's an uncomfortable watch because it challenges so many of my preconceived notions of how i

feel about obviously torture and terrorism and what this country is about. and i don't like to be challenged. >> it's good for you. >> jon: tell me it's going to be okay. >> it's going to be okay. >> jon: thank you very much is that what attracted to you this type of project? >> i'm interested in films that create a conversation. the film answers an unanswered question. i don't want to give it away. >> jon: no, no, give it. >> give. it asks where do you want to go? by asking them that question you are forcing them to participate? if art does that, it's done its job. it's a great film for me to be involved in. >> jon: there's moments in where it's like shouldn't be watching this 30 years from now? it's so immediate to the crisis and controversy. it's a chie ron that comes and

c.i.a. black site. i'm not supposed to know. like someone is going to kick in a door. >> it wasn't the real black site. we filmed that in -- >> jon: don't do this, jessica. were the other government as wear of what the film was? did you tell them like it's a sequel to meatballs? what did you tell? you are filming it over sea it's a very controversial -- america doing some truey -- >> not great things. >> jon: not great things and other people killing lots of other people. >> i think kathryn bigelow, the director and the writer decided not to work in cooperation with the government. which meant if they had they would have gotten a lot of helicopters and airplanes and everything they needed but they would have had to have to the

script to prove which would have meant -- >> jon: our government? >> if you work with the government you can use the plane and helicopters but they get the scripts. >> jon: the deal is if you let aws prove your script you can have a helicopter. >> you can work alongside each other. yes. >> jon: i'm going write a script. [ laughter ] i so badly would like a helicopter. [ laughter ] >> they don't give it to you they let you borrow it for your film. >> jon: that's not that good. [ laughter ] the woman that you play in the film. i'm used to these films being a docudrawma. this is a real character. >> this say real woman in the c.i.a. it's working undercover it's very important we keep her identity a secret. there's articles written about her. the "washington post" did an article saying she wasn't the most popular person in the

c.i.a. and passed over for promotion. >> jon: because of her -- >> if someone is wrong she'll tell them. she doesn't play politics. someone said if you don't get a pre motion for finding osama bin laden what gets you a promotion in the c.i.a.? >> jon: at least get you a plane. did you talk to this woman? >> no, no she's under cover. it's a dangerous thing. >> jon: would she get in trouble? >> huge trouble. the cover of norkts was about the c.i.a. agent going to prison for talking to a journalist about waterboarding. >> jon: you can waterboard we're call but the first rule of waterboard club. >> don't talk about it. >> jon: incredible. you should see it. "zero dark thirty". it's in the theaters now. and she's on broadway. in the heiress